McLaren & Red Bull row over Fallows

The row over Red Bull aerodynamicist Dan Fallows between Red Bull Racing and McLaren continued in China.

McLaren and Red Bull Racing are in the midst of a legal wrangle over aerodynamicist Dan Fallows.

In January McLaren announced that they had signed Dan Fallows from Red Bull Racing. He was immediately placed on gardening leave by the quadruple Formula One constructors world champions ahead of his pending move.

McLaren had also signed Red Bull’s head of aerodynamics Peter Prodromou who had also signed a contract to make the switch from Red Bull Racing to McLaren in December 2013, although he doesn’t officially join McLaren until the start of 2015.

Last week however Red Bull Racing, according to the BBC ‘offered him a better job title and a higher salary’ to convince Fallows to stay with the team.

He accepted and immediately returned to work with Red Bull as the teams new Head of Aerodynamics.

With McLaren racing director Eric Boullier claiming he had a ‘legally binding contract’ with Fallows he confirmed that ‘The matter is now in the hands of our lawyers’.

In China McLaren CEO Ron Dennis questioned the integrity of the Red Bull team over the incident, something that Red Bull team principal Christian Horner defended.

‘The situation with Dan is very clear, Dan decided that he was going to leave Red Bull for reasons of his own. Horner told Autosport Magazine

‘With the changes that have happened at McLaren [such as Martin Whitmarsh being moved aside and the set-up with Peter Prodromou], he decided that he didn’t want to join.

‘It was 100 per cent his decision to approach us and see if there was a situation still open.

‘It was his choice and I think that getting lawyers involved, if that is the way that McLaren want to act, then that is what will have to be done.’